Device for displaying goods



Aug. l7, 1937. T, p GRAHAM 2,090,477

' DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING GOODS Filed July 2s, -195 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 17, 1937. 1 p GRAHAM 2,090,477

DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING GooDs Filed July 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 23, 1936, Serial No. 92,240 In Great Britain January 8, 1935 claims. (c1. 22o- 97) This invention relates to devices for displaying goods, more particularly canned goods packed in tins?, canisters or the like, by which the said tins or the like may be displayed to the public in win- 5 dows or other places.

In making window decorations of tins, for instance, there aie not many ways of arranging them, owing to the fact that each tin must be supported upon another one below, and in making any gures or the like, care must be taken so that they do not overbalance.

'Ihe object of the invention'is to devise means whereby various arrangements of tins, canisters or the like can be made without having to provide l5 for the balancing of the tins or the like on one another.

According to the present invention a device for use in displaying tins, canisters or the like comprises means for clipping to the bottom of said tins or the like, whereby two or more may be held securely in relationV to one another in various positions according Vto the shape of said means.

The invention also consists in a device for dis- 5 playing tins and the like comprising means for securing two or more tins, canisters or the like together,` said means clipping, on to the ends thereof, so that one or more tins or the like is or are situated on each side of said device in a variety of different positions relatively to each other.

The invention also consists in a device for displaying tins, canisters or the like, comprising a metal plate having one or more sets of projections on each side thereof, each set'havingtwo or more projections which are adapted .to spring over the end of the tin or the like.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated, by way of example, on the annexed sheets of drawings wherein:-

Figure 1 is an elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view, and

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one embodiment of the invention. v

' Figures 4 and 5 are elevation andplan view respectively of a development in the construction oi the device.

' Figure illustra'tes a plan view of the device constructed to hold "a series of tinsin a row.

Figures 7 and 8 are elevation and plan view respectively of a further construction of device in accordance with `the invention.

' Figures 9 and 10 are elevation and plan view respectively ofvstill another construction of de- 55 vice in accordance with the invention.

Figures 11 and 12, and Figures 13 and 14, are elevation and side elevation respectively of two further constructions of device in accordance with the invention.V

Figure 15 is a plan viewof a still further construction of device in accordance with the invention, and Y Figures 16 and 17 are examples Vshowing the tins can be built up with devices in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings:-

In the construction illustrated in FiguresV 1, 2 and 3 the device comprises a at disc-like member or body portion a, preferably stampedzfrom sheet metal, having three upwardly turned projections a1 and three downwardly turned projections a2, all six projections lying on the circum' ference of the same circle. VSaid projections are bent inwardly towards the centre, ,and one of the projections al and one of the'projections a2 are again bent outwardly4 as at a3 and a4 respectively.

The beaded end of a tin, canister orI the like is sprung into the three projections a1, and the end of another sprung into the projections a2. Said ends can be inserted rst in the two projections which have not the outwardly bent extremity and then forced over the end having'said extremity, which, in consequence, yields to permit the beaded end to pass. The projections a' afford one clip means which is adapted to maintain a container such as a tin or the like in detachable relation to the support member of the device and -which includes a plurality of projections extending in one direction from the support member; and the projections a2 afford a second clipV means which is adapted to maintain a second tin in detachable' relation to the support member and which includes a plurality of projections extending in a different direction (in this case the oppositedirection) with respect to projections a. Consequently, the two tins are securely held in fixed relationship with respect to' each other, one on one side of the device and the other on the other, and they can -then be held at any angle to the vertical and will n ot come apart. A long cylindrical body may thus be built up of such connecting devices and tins.

In the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 the plate a is provided on one side thereof with four projections c centrally situated thereon, and the other side provided with two sets of projections d and e, there being three projections in each set symmetrically arranged with one projection at each end of the plate, r-so that two tins can be clipped together side by side on one side of the device, and one tin can be clipped on the Ydirections with respect to each other when the,

strip gis bent or curved.

In the construction shown in Figures 'I -and 8 two sets of projections h, h, h and h1, 11.11, h1 are situated on one side of the pla'te a so as to holdl two tins side by side close together, and on` the opposite side of the device are two sets of projections i, i, i and i1, il, i1. The latter projections may be spaced a suitable distance apart so that two tins secured by `means of those two sets vof projections Vvstand away from one another; In this manner the tins maintained on oneV side of the support member are offset with respect to the tins which extendV in the opposite direction from the other side of the support member.

In the construction shown in Figures 9 and 10l the plate a is provided with a number of sets ofY projections` on each side, the sets on the top being staggered with relation to those below so that the tins, when secured to the device, are not in a line one below the other, although their centre lines are parallel. If desired, the device shownin Figure 10 may be cut on the line :c so as toV form a device with one set of projections above and one set below, the sets being staggered with respect to each other andextending from different portions (at least in part) of the support member. By such means twov tins can be secured one on top of, but olf-set from, the other. Moreover, the tins being maintained on opposite sides of the metal plate are caused to extend in difierent directions with respect to each other as maintained by the plate.

In the construction shown in Figuresll and 12 the plate a is bent up into the form of an equilateral triangle, on each side of which one set of projections k, k, lc is provided; thus,.the device will hold three tins all at equal angles to one another in the same plane. If desired, any number of sets of projections may be provided on each face of the equilateral triangle, or the triangle need not be equilateral, but may be made of any angle, as desired. Y

In the construction shown in Figures 13 14 the plate a is bent to form five sides, each having outwardly turned projections, but it will ybe understood that it may bel bent to form two, four or more sides at any desired angle with respect to each other, each side having projections thereon. In the devices'shown in Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 the sets of projections of the different clip means extend in different directions and are adapted to maintain tins or the like extending in different directions with respect to each other and likewise in oiTset relation with respect to each other.

By means of devices embodying this invention and adapted to maintain tins or the like in offset relation to each other and in diierent direction with respect 'to each other, a variety of arresting and unusual congurations can be built up (e. g., as shown in Figs. 16 andV 17 referred to below) which are strikingly different Vfrom displays that are possible using devices heretofore known.

and

When a plurality of different devices having such characteristics is used in a single display, especially novel and striking effects can be produced.

When building up dilTerent gures by the connecting device, it is sometimes necessary to build one portion to another portion, and in order to do this, it is found suitable in some circumstances to arrange that one of said projections is movable, being mounted upon an extension of the plate, and means are provided so that the tin 4may be placed upon said member, and then the projection pushed in to lock the tin to the device, when a pin or other suitable means may be slipped in be- "tween the pivoted member and the projection on the plate tolock itin this position.

This construction is shown in Figure 15 wherein ZL is the movable projection carried by a member Z1 pivotedfat Z2 to the plate a. A pin Z3 extendsthrough said member and plate so as toy lock thernovable projection in the position indicated in full lines. When the pin is withdrawn the said member can be turned to the position shown in chain dotted lines to permit a tin or the like to be placed on the plate, said member being then returned to and locked in the normal position indicated in full lines.

Inl all of the embodiments of the invention one of the projections of eachset may be bent back wards as at a3, Figures 1, 2 and 3.

By utilizing a combination of devices, as above` described, a multiplicity of arrangements or designs of tins, or canisters, can be built up. In the designs shown in Figures 16 and 17 the de- Vices A are illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 3, the devices B by Figures 11 and 12, device C by Figures 13 and 14, device D by Figures 7 and 8, devices E by Figures 4 and 5, and devices F by the left hand part of Figures 9 and 10.

It is to be understood that three, four or more projections may be provided, according-to the shape and the size of the tins being displayed,

and that circular, oval 4or rectangular tins can be secured by this device equally well. If desired, two projections maybe used in certain circumstances instead of three or more, provided the n f surface of the tin enclosed by each projection is suflicient to hold it in the required position.

The device is formed out of sheet metal plate preferably by stamping, and the projections may be turned up from the metal side by side on opposite sides or one set of projections may be narrower than the other, and punched out from slots and bent outwards to one side where the other projections were bent inwards; thus the projections will coincide withcne another on opposite sides of the device, but one set will be Wider than the other set. Further, the metal between the projections in the case of a device for circular tins is preferably cut on straight, as shown in the various embodiments of` the invention illustrated, so as to save weight, and for various other shapes and sizes, as much metal is cutV away as possible, as long vas sufilcient strength is left for the purpose.

If desired, the metal may be cut away between the projections on the two sides in the example given where the projections locate tins' in line with one another, so that the six projections would be situated at the end of six arms, three on one side and three on the other, alternately arranged.

The metal of which-the device is made should be preferably of spring steel so` as to clip firmly to the bottom of the tins'or the like. 'Iins having a slight rim at the top and bottom are more suitable for being connected to the device than tins Without a rim, but tins Without a rim can quite Well be connected toI it by suitably forming the projections.

It is to be understood that innumerable designs and patterns other than those illustrated can be formed by connecting the tins together, either in one or more planes, and that it is only a matter of arranging the projections on the connecting device, or suitably bending or shaping the devices so as to produce any desired eect. rThus, it is quite an easy matter to build up the tins to form letters of the alphabet.

A base or platform may very conveniently be provided with projections to hold one or more tins in suitable positions, so as to start off the building of the structure to form a display.

Further, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to tins and canisters made of metal or other material as well as cartons, boxes and the like made of material which is suiiiciently stiff to permit the projections to grip, and that various other modications and arrangements of the projections or other details may be made, Without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:-

1. A device for displaying a plurality of rigid containers which comprises a web member having a plurality of portions thereof in substantially diiierent planes, rst clip means comprising a plurality of arms attached to one of said portions of said web member and adapted to clip onto an end of a rst container and second clip means comprising a plurality of arms attached to a second portion of said member in a dierent plane from said rst portion and adapted to clip onto an end of a second container.

2. A device for displaying a plurality of rigid containers Which comprises an elongated metallic Web member Which is bent at intervals so as to be polygonal in cross section, and clipping means integral With each of a plurality of portions of said metallic web in diierent planes and extending outwardly therefrom, each of said clipping means being adapted tol clip onto an end of a container.

3. A device for displaying a plurality of rigid containers which comprises a metal web member, first clip means comprising a plurality of arms integral with said Web member and adapted to clip onto an end of a rst container, second clip means comprising a plurality of arms integral With said Web member on the same side thereof as said iirst clip means and adapted to clip onto an end of a second container, and third clip means comprising a plurality of arms integral with said web member on the opposite side of said web member with respect to said first and second clip means and adapted to Clip onto the end of a third container.

4. A portable device for displaying a plurality of containers such as tins, canisters, or the like which comprises a sheet-like supporting member having rst clip means including a plurality of projections extending outwardly from a first sheet-like portion of said supporting member, second clip means including a plurality of projections extending outwardly from a second sheet-like portion of said supporting member in a direction substantially diierent from the direction of the projections of said first clipv means, said first portion being at least partially diierent from and oiTset With respect to said second portion, said rst clip means being adapted to clip onto an end of a rst container to maintain said container in detachable relation to said supporting member and said second clip means being adapted to clip onto an end of a second container to maintain said second container in detachable relation to said supporting member in oiiset relation to said rst container and in a substantially diierent direction with respect to said iirst container.

5. A portable device for displaying a plurality of containers which comprises a metal web support member, first clip means secured to and eX- tending from one side of said support member and adapted to clip onto an end of a first container to maintain said container in detachable relation to one side of said supp-ort member and second clip means secured tov and extending from the other side of said support member in offset relation to said rst clip means adapted to clip onto an end of a second container to maintain said second container in detachable relation to the other side of said support member and in oiset relation thereto.

THOMAS PAYNE GRAHAM. 

